Malawry

Flat-iron American Kobe-style organic steak, rare. Butter and Maldon sea salt. Melange of sauteed peppers, purple and red. The purple ones lost their color, sadly, and looked like overcooked green ones when done (they were not at all overcooked though).

The last few days I've been unable to muster any enthusiasm for food at work. I'm starting to see the attraction of running out to get lunch even though there's tons of food for free right in front of me (and I don't have to sneak, since I'm in charge and I don't have a staff). Feh.

Thanks for taking one for the team, Don. Those rillettes: I assume one of the other two was pork. You mentioned the duck. What's the third one, do you remember? I am a big fan of rillettes and may try to swing by for rillettes and a cocktail sometime.

BTW, at the farm market where my parents live (Greensboro, NC), several purveyors sell double-yolk eggs. You also see these at a lot of the farm stands by the road in the North Carolina mountains. I asked one of the Greensboro guys once how he managed to produce double-yolked eggs. He said younger chickens are more likely to produce them but wouldn't offer any more information. The double-yolk eggs I've bought from the Greensboro market have been delicious--a little fattier and richer than a regular farm egg. So good, in fact, that I don't think I've ever baked with them--I just ate them as scrambled, fried or shirred eggs.

If I go, I always get the ginger salad. It's gooooooood, esp for ginger freaks like yours truly. I think the portion size has gone down a little over the years, sadly. I think their sushi is in the OK category. It's not great but it doesn't suck--I'd eat it if I lived nearby but it's not worth a special trip.

I get a double-yolk egg about once every three cases of Grade A Large eggs from Sysco. I almost never see them in the farm market eggs we consume at home, though.

Thick and chunky. The only way I like thin chili is when I'm eating it over spaghetti. I love beans in chili so they normally make an appearance. Lots of tomatoes and onions. No funky weird stuff--sorry Mayhaw, I wouldn't ever add black olives to chili--but I do believe that chili improves if you throw a lot of flavorings into it. I usually add a dash of worcestershire, cinnamon, a little unsweetened chocolate, cumin, oregano, lots of Penzey's Medium-Hot Chili Powder, and some other stuff in there.

I think pate a choux is your friend. Besides the profiteroles and eclairs already mentioned, you could make mini paris-brests. I am a big fan of the bite-sized tartlet. Properly executed tartlet shells are more difficult than choux paste, and you can go crazy with different fillings and garnishes (lime curd and tropical fruits, ganache and candied orange peel, etc). But only do those if you have a tartlet pan and if you have time to do them well--the pate a choux will take a lot less time and be just as impressive.

A big fat juicy burger with lots of onions in the mix, doused in plenty of mustard Slaw, to which I added extra vinegar. I wanted sharp flavors yesterday.

I use the dry ingredients proportions from the Joy of Cooking basic recipe. I use whole milk buttermilk (the expensive small-farmer kind in the glass bottle) instead of regular milk, farm fresh eggs, and I add a generous dollop of sour cream to the wet stuff. Makes excellent light fluffy pancakes every time.

We had a great meal too. I especially loved the Poh Pia, shreds of all sorts of good things with mushu pancakes and hoisin sauce (the mix includes JICAMA, bean sprouts, dried shrimp, chicken, and other goodies). The #11 dish (we got it with fish instead of shrimp) was great too, tangy with tamarind. We had the fried tofu appetizer which we remembered from the old days of this restaurant; this isn't oil-sodden or fried until totally dry, it retains some of that soothing creamy tofu interior to contrast with the crisp outside. Dipped into chile-peanut sauce it's terrific. Have I mentioned that it's fairly cheap? Four of us shared one appetizer and three family-style entrees and the tab was well under $100. (Granted, only one of us drank anything alcoholic, but still.) Go early. Go often. Ignore the crowds across the street.

It's the same restaurant as in College Park, MD--they're moving down the road to Silver Spring. I ate there once and absolutely loved it and I look forward to their move closer to where I live. It's pretty cheap too which is a nice plus.

If they keep strictly Kosher, and you do not, then either purchase something from a strictly Kosher bakery to bring over or just bring them flowers. I don't mean to be a naysayer but most people who keep strictly Kosher won't accept food that they can't absolutely guarantee is Kosher. Perhaps as you get to know them better you will find out how strict they are or aren't. And if they're not that strict, then you can bring them some foodstuffs from your kitchen. Or they can tell you how strict you need to be to satisfy their dietary needs if you're really eager. I wouldn't try to just wing it or read up on a few laws though--Kashrut is a whole way of life.

I went back to Polonez yesterday. My grandfather is coming into town today and I wanted to buy some fish for breakfast tomorrow morning, and I thought the matjes herring would make an especially nice treat. (This kind of thing is not readily available in Charlotte, NC, where he lives.) I was quite surprised to see absolutely no fish in the two refrigerated cases in the back of the store. They both held some Polish, German, and other meats and cheeses but no fish. The proprietor tried to talk me into taking some of the sprats and other canned fish they carry, but I wasn't interested. While I do eat pork I try not to rub it in my Jewish family's face, so I didn't want any of the sausages. The poppy seed cake looked interesting but my grandfather is diabetic and my spouse and I are trying to do the low-carb thing. So I ended up coming away empty-handed, despite heavy lobbying. I was told that they have more fish around the December holidays and I promised to check back then. I am surprised though--there was almost a whole case filled with fishy treats when I started this thread in early summer 2002. Which is a greater distance from Christmas than September, yet that didn't stop them from offering a great selection. I drove up Georgia Avenue to Snider's Super Foods to buy herring in cream and wine sauce and some chubs. Sigh.

Marvelous does indeed sell them, Takomabaker. It's just an ordinary oatmeal cookie with a sprinkling of coarse salt on the top. Not sure what version Teaism sells, nor do I have a recipe, but I thought I'd tell you you're right about there being a second salty oatmeal cookie in the DC metro area.

I wouldn't overlook Galileo as a third option after Nectar and Palena. I've thoroughly enjoyed cheese courses there a couple of times--complete with house-made jams and an assortment of yummy breads.

I'm checking out the newly reopened Straits of Malaya tonight. It was a favorite of mine back when I lived at 18th and S, many moons ago.

Butter gets warm fast, Cjsadler. If puff pastry is feeling supple and workable, that's your cue to stop working immediately and put it in the fridge. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour before taking it out to work on it again. If you're really pressed for time you can cheat with 15-20 minutes in the freezer. 10 minutes in the fridge is only long enough for the very surface to get cold, unfortunately. I can make puff pastry beginning to end in about an hour if I work in a very cold kitchen, but at this time of year I'd expect to take 3 hours or so with lots of lengthy resting for a successful pastry. I haven't ever made the "rough" sort of puff pastry described here though.

The old T as G has been fully gutted, and there's a busy crew there every morning when I drive by working on the space. I'm almost as excited about this place as I am about Jackie's in Silver Spring.

There's a decent shot I will be in. I have no opinions on BBQ places in CC but am happy to pick some up if I can get an address--or join somebody else's reconnaisance mission.

Pineapple-chicken skewers Tofu satays with peanut sauce Tiki roast pork BBQ mini-sandwiches on potato buns Asian slaw, with sesame seeds and chili oil Egg rolls with sweet chili sauce Macadamia-white chocolate cookies For 50. "Luau night."

They ate all the dippers and most, but not quite all, of the chocolate. They sounded happy about it but no more or less happy than about all the other stuff I've done for them lately--this is Rush Week and I've been producing special menus and catering special events almost daily since last week. (I've been busting my ass for them and doing some really great food.) I probably won't do fondue again any time soon; fondue overkill sounds like a bad idea. I may bring it out for the December study day (day off of classes before finals begin) when I expect to prepare a special dinner for them. I would like to take more time with the dippers, using some of your suggestions especially Sinclair, to make the whole fondue experience more special. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do that this time around, but what with rush events on Sunday and Tuesday bookending the Monday fondue party it just wasn't feasible.

I like to make goat cheese flavored with any number of things--lemon zest and thyme leaves, roasted garlic, cracked pepper, whatever sounds good. Great on any kind of toast--you can loosen it and make it spreadable by buzzing it in a food processor with a touch of cream. Goat cheese and honey sandwiches on raisin bread are the bomb, btw.

I stock my work freezer with beef stew, coconut chickpea curry, chicken and rice casserole, soups (tomato, French onion, chicken), vegetarian and beef chilis, premade precooked beef and turkey meatballs, precooked beef and beans for tacos or burritos, and lasagna. This way when the girls have a special event that requires extra work or when I have to take time off, there are lots of ingredients that are quick and easy to assemble (or even for my boss to throw in the oven for me). This is in addition to the vegetarian and chicken stocks, dessert sauces, and puff pastry and filo dough I always keep on hand for making ordinary soups and desserts special.

Hi Chef, I have really enjoyed the desserts I have sampled in your restaurant. Can you please talk about your pastry program? Also what is your personal background with pastry? Thanks.